Coyotes sneak out of Nashville, beat Predators 3-2

Taking A Look At My Prediction: In my pre-game thoughts, here’s what I said

“Short and sweet, the Predators are going to win this one. They are 6-1-2 at the Bridgestone Arena since the start of 2011 getting 3 or more goals in ALL of their wins here. So, I think the Predators are going to meet that margin and win it”

Well, short and sweet, they didn’t win it. I’m now 1-3 in predicting games and I’m tempted to stop doing it or making the exact OPPOSITE prediction of what I’m thinking

Special Teams:
Powerplay – 1 for 4, 25%
Powerplay For The Season – 31 for 200, 15.5%, 25th in the league

Penalty Kill – 4 for 4 (Perfect in 5 of the last 6 games! 24 of 25), 100%
Penalty Kill For The Season – 27 for 203, 86.7%, 2nd in the league

Best Play of the Game: Korpikosi’s shot from a little back from the faceoff circle beating Rinne during the 4 on 4. Beautiful shot gave the Coyotes a 3-1 lead

Worst Play of the Game: It’s a tie: Shane O’Brien’s goal-cancelling high stick during the third period and Shane Doan’s dirty hit on Ryan Suter. Both were equally bad

Players (Good and Bad) of the Game:
The Good: Mike Fisher – The man knows how to play hockey and he plays his game well. He should have easily had 2 goals tonight, but he had one cancelled due to a bonehead play and another where the puck sailed a little past his stick in front of a wide open night. Tough game for him

The Bad: Ryan Suter is going to win the award tonight. Before he left with an injury at the end of the second, he kept turning over the puck and just didn’t seem like himself for the night. Everyone has an off game, and tonight was Suters. Let’s just not hope that this was Suter’s last game for a while…

My Preds #1 Star: Martin Erat. Adds 2 more assists to his total and the ONLY Preds player with a + rating tonight (0g/2a/+1)

Synopsis: I said in my preview that I was surprised that the Coyotes where were they are in the standings. Well, now I know exactly why. The Coyotes check hard and are quick to the puck and can get behind your defense if you’re not paying attention, which it seemed the Predators were doing most of the night.

The Predators played sloppy for about 50 minutes tonight and it showed. In all seriousness, though, the Predators KNOW that they cannot play like this and expect to make any serious dents in the playoffs (or make it, for that much). It’s time they get on the ball and play like they are trying to stay in the playoff hunt and not have a quick exit. Kevin Klein even noted himself during the post game that the Predators just played sloppy tonight. The players see it happening and the players are the only ones that can fix it.

Now, there’s something that is irritating me and I have to touch on it:

Consistency

Oh yes, I’ve talked about this before, but this is different. I would like to see consistent officiating in the game.

And before you say to yourself, “Oh, this guy is just another fan who thinks the Refs Suck,” read on and see what I mean before you judge.

If you’re going to call a penalty on one side of the ice, call the same penalty on the other side of the ice, why wouldn’t you do your job especially when you’re looking right at the play. In a non-biased eye, I saw SERIOUS trips/holds/cross-checks/interference on Predators players while I saw a mix of the same on Coyotes players AND that rough slam to the ice by Franson on the Coyote player in the third.

Whatever is going on with the officiating, whether it has to do with officiating in general in the NHL or a more sinister problem that none of us are aware of, it needs to be resolved and quickly. Referees are losing control of games in the league and players are getting hurt by dirty hits where penalties may not be called (but a suspension is given after the game?).

Next game is Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus